Buddhist practice: Why should lay Buddhists observe the Five Precepts and keep the Precepts of Not Killing?

When it comes to the Five Precepts, everyone will not be unfamiliar with them. The Five Precepts are the most fundamental precepts in Chinese Mahayana Buddhism and the basis of all precepts. Since they were established by the Buddha for lay people, the Five Precepts are also called lay Buddhist precepts.

The Five Precepts refer to not killing, not stealing, not committing adultery, not lying, and not drinking alcohol.The sutras and treatises say that upholding the Five Precepts can lead to human body in the next life, or to be born in heaven in the next life.However, why should lay Buddhists observe the Five Precepts?I only ask for compassion and salvation of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas every day. Isn’t it better to hug Buddha’s feet if you have something to do?Why should we observe the precepts?

A great master also said that the Five Precepts are passports leading to human and heavenly beings.The Five Precepts are the norm for being a human being, so receiving and keeping the Five Precepts is very important.Why did the Buddha formulate the precepts for lay Buddhists not to kill?The first of the Five Precepts is to not kill.

First of all, we should clearly understand what killing is?Explanation of the terms about killing: Killing one's life is killing, and sentient beings are called life.To eliminate the life of sentient beings is called killing.It is precisely because of the act of killing that the Buddha formulated the precepts for lay Buddhists not to kill.

The reason for formulating this precept of not killing can be summarized as follows:

1. Because killing will harm the lives of other sentient beings, the sins and the consequences will be severe.Those who kill must bear the evil karma and consequences of killing, and it is not easy to enter the path of liberation.

2. Because the act of killing the lives of sentient beings seriously violates great compassion.

3. Killing is an act of betrayal of ungratefulness, because since the beginning of time, every sentient being has been our parents and relatives in our past lives. How can we bear to kill our past parents?

4. Injure good relationships.Because our killing behavior will form enemies with the person we are killed, it is not easy to save each other in later generations, so we are one step further away from the sea of ​​suffering.

5. Every sentient being possesses Buddha nature and can become a Buddha in the future.So we should respect them without despising them, so how can we kill them?

6. The act of killing seriously violates the fearless donation of Bodhisattvas (fearless donation is a kind of donation. When sentient beings are uneasy, afraid, and afraid, they can help them and eliminate their fear).

7. Deviate from the four actions of Bodhisattva (giving, loving words, benefiting actions, and colleagues).

8. Snatching and killing all living beings is more than stealing all of them.

9. As we all know, all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have achieved success by raising the Bodhicitta and practicing the Bodhisattva's practices to all sentient beings.It is precisely because of the existence of sentient beings that all Buddhas can eventually become Buddhas. If sentient beings are killed, how can all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas achieve success?

Tenth, the Dharma taught by the Buddhas of the three ages does not teach sentient beings to perform the behavior of killing.

There are three precepts for the precepts of not killing:

1. In order to save the majority of people, we have to kill all living beings.

2. In order to save the sages of the Three Vehicles, they killed the murderer with compassion. They would rather break the precepts and fall into hell than make this person commit the serious crime of the five rebellions (falling into the Abyssinian Hell).

3. People with crazy minds (that is, severe mental illness).

The severity of the sin of killing is divided into five crimes, serious crimes and misdemeanors for killing:

1. Killing parents, monks, acharyas, and arahans is the five sins of rebellion and falling into the Avici Hell.

Avici Hell: a proper Buddhist noun. It comes from the Lotus Sutra, Abhidharma-kosha, and Xuanying Yinyi. It is transliterated as Avici Hell, Sanskrit AvicinarAka， A is the word "no" and the nose is called "jian". Avi means "wujian".The Abyssal Hell is the eighth of the eight hells and is also the most miserable of the eight hells.

Five sins of rebellion: Buddhism says that five kinds of evil karma that will cause retribution to the Avici Hell."The Sutra of the Five Deficiencies": There are five deficiencies. If the clan surname and the daughter of the clan surname are the five sins, they will definitely go to hell.What is the five?It means killing the father, killing the mother, harming the Arhat, chasing the monks, and having malicious intentions at the Tathagata.Also save the five rebellions

2. Homicide is a serious crime.

3. Killing animals is a misdemeanor.

You can also know the severity of the crime based on the intention to kill (the second is ignorance and anger and greed), the object of killing, the order of cruelty and the degree of intention of the method of killing used.

The consequences of violating the precept of killing after receiving the Five Precepts:

1. Fall into the three evil paths.

2. If you are born in a person, you will have many diseases and short life.

3. The external things you feel are less luster and will soon stay there.

4. The heart is always poisonous, and it will never stop for generations.

5. Be terrified.

6. Nightmare.

7. All living beings hate them.

8. At the time of death, you will die of terror and evil.

The consequences of strictly observing the precepts of killing after receiving the Five Precepts:

1. Abstaining from killing is to practice fearless donation.

2. Compassion increases, worries decrease.

3. Eliminate anger and eliminate heat and annoyance.

4. Less illness and long-lasting life.

5. All beings are close to each other and ghosts and gods protect them.

6. Always have no nightmares and be happy to sleep.

7. Relieve grudges and make good relationships.

8. There is no evil path and will be in heaven.

9. In the future, wealth and honor will be free.

10. If you keep the five precepts, if you recite the Buddha's name and make a vow, you will be reborn in the Pure Land.

We human beings have compassion, and Bodhisattvas practice the six perfections and ten thousand practices, and are headed by great compassion. In order to maintain the root of human beings, we must first abstain from killing.For sentient beings, money, fame and color are all things outside the body. The most important thing is actually the one's own life, so you should abstain from killing.

《Song of the Ordination

Master Ming Huiyi

It is easy to take precepts, but it is difficult to keep them. Don’t look at major events casually.

You must protect yourself when you cross the sea with a floating bag, and you will be in trouble.

If you have the desire to overcome one's will, you will be at peace and will be determined to be in the end of life and death.

Let him follow the arrow of the Demon Army, and be alone and lonely, the moon shadow is cold.